Sunita Khanna travels a long way; from a teacher to environmentalist. Still going undeterred

New Delhi. Sunita Khanna (66) – a multi-faceted personality, has been a TV face, an author, a teacher, a renowned craft trainer, a workshop consultant and now as an environmentalist, she is trying hard to strike an ecological balance so that the present and future generations can breathe easy.

And nothing including rheumatoid arthritis attack at the tender age of 26 years and ensuing health-related hardships, could deter her from treading her path as she always kept going on with the ‘never give up’ attitude. She is a role model for others, who take inspiration from her to fight health battles for the last so many years.

With a long track record of 36 years into the teaching profession as a Primary Teacher and In-charge Resource Centre with DPS Mathura Road,  Sunita has written various articles in leading newspaper and magazines/books for children. She was also teaching life skills and moral values in the school to young children whereby she emphasized on the 3 R’s of environment and imbibing good values.

“I am very proud to share with everyone that I worked in DPS Mathura Road for 36years. I always encouraged my students to participate in extracurricular activities.

I took them for TV programs, made them write articles and got them published in magazines and periodicals, inculcated in them love for reading and writing,” Sunita Khanna told Asian Community News (ACN) Network.

With more than 10 books to her credit, her very own popular series of ‘Do It Yourself Craft’ is a big hit with children. She has also written lots of storybooks for children.

“Later when I realized that students are wasting so much I starting teaching techniques of ‘Best out of Waste’, and made them participate in contests of their creations and they got encouraged when they won prizes. Later, I got the students involved with the NGOs I was connected with and I wanted them to realize how lucky they are to have parents, to have limbs, hands, feet, and eyes,” Khanna said.

She has been conducting workshops at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi for the last sixteen years.

Sunita Khanna also conducted workshops on glass painting, tile painting, personality development etc. She organized and conducted numerous eco-friendly and craft workshops for children at prestigious places like India Habitat Centre, Epicentre, Dilli Haat, Taj Palace Hotel, DLF Malls, Radisson Hotel etc. She also conducted numerous family days and camps for Corporates like TCS, Fresca, ABB etc.

While explaining about her upbringings, Sunita Khanna said she studied in Mothers International School and Convent of Jesus & Marys, New Delhi, and did BA from Government College of Patiala and B.ED from Nepal University.

“My father was Director, National Stadium and an avid sportsman, my mother brought me and my younger sister up in the most beautiful manner by enriching them with good values. My husband was a Chartered accountant. I brought up two lovely children and my husband and family were my biggest strengths,” she said.

At present, she has many health problems but nothing stops her from being creative, she still conducts workshops, does online editing work and is associated with five NGOs for the betterment of underprivileged and specially-abled. Suffering from physical disability to some extent, she has a soft corner for the spastic. She voluntarily helps UDAYAN CARE NGO and AKSHAY PRATISHTHAN.

About 2 years back she came in contact with the NGO Gramar that is making all eco-friendly products like seed pencils and pens and seed notes pads, seed rakhis, seed national flags eco-friendly return gifts, and many more.

“This NGO gets these things made by the clusters of Bengal Uttrakhand and they are not able to reach out to schools, corporates, and societies due to lack of funds and education, I am trying to make these seed pencils and pens popular by giving them free and selling them at very affordable prices by the NGO,” said Sunita.

These pencils are made out of old newspapers and magazines and by using them one saves trees as no wood is used and by using the seed pens one can say No to PLASTIC.

Seed pencils have seeds of vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, coriander and many more and also flowers behind them they are plantable. Once the seed pencils and pens are in the hands of children or elders, they should be planted in a pot or soil in 45 degrees angle and after 7-8 days the seeds germinate, pull the pencil/pen wash it and use it.

In this way children become closer to nature and love for gardening is inculcated in them, said Sunita Khanna.

Her other NGO Kala Dhristi makes cloth bags and Sunita is helping them promote too towards say no plastic bags.

“I was an environmentalist from the beginning, I was always against giving bouquets to guests in school and to parents on PTMs used to request them not to. Bag in a bag (foldable bag) ideal for stopping by ladies, men, and children too.

As her one of the latest social ventures, she along with two of her friends have hired an organic farm in Gurgaon to give organic food to children, and she goes every week to see the vegetables growing and gets fresh vegetables for her family and friends.

However, as this is not the end of the road for Sunita Khanna, her journey continues undeterred.